What is Psychology?

Psychology is the study of people: how they think, how they act, react and interact. Psychology is concerned with all aspects of behaviour and the thoughts, feelings and motivation underlying such behaviour.

People often ask the difference between psychology and psychiatry. Psychiatry draws on a knowledge of psychology, but it is a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of psychological problems and mental illness using drugs and psychotherapeutic techniques.

The study of people has a long history, with early observers basing their analysis of human nature on everyday experience. In contrast, modern psychology is the science of human behaviour and experience, and to study psychology you have to learn scientific methods involving observation, measurement, hypothesis testing, experimentation and logical inference, and the use of statistics to test the significance of research findings.

But psychologists do not simply explain people's behaviour; they use their understanding to help people with difficulties and bring about change for the better. For example, psychologists are concerned with practical problems such as:

What are the best shifts for air traffic controllers to work to minimise the risk of air accidents?
What affect does their parents' divorce have on children?
How should parents deal with a child's tantrums?
How do you best train a blind person and a guide dog to work together?
How do you learn to cope with stress or with particular fears or phobias?
What kind of people are most attractive to the opposite sex?

Psychologists have a valuable contribution to make to all areas of life today, whether it be with individuals or for British Psychological Society as a whole. And the subject also has much to offer its practitioners.

Psychologists are probably best known for their work in the health and education services, but psychology graduates can be found in almost any area of life. Careers fall into three broad bands: those for which a psychology degree is essential; those for which it is directly useful but for which other graduates can apply; and careers which are open to any discipline.

Careers for which a psychology degree is necessary

Clinical Psychologists work in various hospital and community settings with people with health problems or with severe learning difficulties. They are very active in the mental health field, practising a wide variety of techniques. For example, they train people in self-relaxation so that they can cope with their anxieties, and help children with learning difficulties to care for themselves. They also work with people who have eating disorders, sexual problems, phobias, head injuries, strokes, HIV/AIDS, and problems associated with age.

They usually work directly with clients, either individually or in groups, assessing their needs and providing therapies based on psychological theories and research. They may operate from health centres and hospitals or may visit people at home. Clinical psychologists usually work as part of a team with, for example, social workers, medical practitioners and other health professionals. Most work within the National Health Service, which has a clearly defined career structure, but a growing minority work in private practice.

Clinical psychology is a rapidly developing field and research is very important. Many clinical psychologists also teach.

To become a Chartered Clinical Psychologist you need a British Psychological Society-accredited first degree. The clinical psychology training itself then takes an additional three years and must be undertaken through a British Psychological Society-accredited training course. Places are in short supply, with around 20 applicants for each place, and often a first- or an upper-second-class degree is required. Success is usually due not only to a good first degree but also to relevant experience either before or after graduation, and an understanding of the profession. Mature applicants are welcomed, but for all age groups there is fierce competition to get funded training.

Suitable experience includes working as an assistant psychologist or research assistant on clinically relevant projects (these posts are usually advertised in the monthly Appointments Memorandum published by the British Psychological British Psychological Society and available to most members, or in the national press). Some graduates get their foot in the NHS door by working as an assistant psychologist on a voluntary basis, or get involved in charities working with mental health client groups.

Counselling Psychologists aim to help people improve their sense of well-being, alleviate their distress, resolve their crises and increase their ability to solve problems and make decisions for themselves. They do this through the application of psychological theories, research and techniques to help individuals and groups deal with some of the inevitable difficulties of normal life. Counselling psychologists work with individuals, couples, families and groups. They work in diverse settings; some work privately, some in primary health care such as GPs surgeries, others in counselling organisations and academic settings, whilst others are employed within business organisations.

To become a counselling psychologist you need a British Psychological Society-accredited degree in psychology and then have to take the British Psychological Society's Diploma in Counselling Psychology or, alternatively, take a British Psychological Society-accredited postgraduate training course. These courses will allow candidates to be exempt from all or part of the Diploma.

Educational Psychologists tackle the problems encountered by young people in education, which may involve learning difficulties and social or emotional problems. Their work normally takes place in schools, colleges, nurseries and special units or at the client's home, and involves working closely with teachers and parents.

Most of the time is spent in assessing children's progress, their academic and emotional needs and providing help and advice. Reports have to be written about children for allocation of special educational places or as part of court proceedings. Increasingly, educational psychologists work with teachers to improve the school environment.

The majority of educational psychologists are employed by local authorities, but a growing number work as independent or private consultants. They work closely with other professionals, particularly teachers and social workers.

To become a Chartered Educational Psychologist in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you need a British Psychological British Psychological Society-accredited first degree, a teaching qualification and usually two years postgraduate teaching experience with children and young adults up to the age of 19. Experience gained in private schools or overseas will usually be acceptable. This is followed by a years professional training in educational psychology and one years supervised practice as an educational psychologist. Where the training course lasts longer than one year, the probationary period of supervised practice will be reduced accordingly.

Educational psychologists in Scotland do not require teaching experience. However, those who consider training in Scotland should remember that LEAs south of the border usually will only employ educational psychologists who have teaching experience. A list of two-year Scottish university courses which lead to an MSc in educational psychology is available from the British Psychological Society's Leicester office. There is keen competition for entrance to accredited professional training courses in educational psychology, and a first- or upper-second-class degree is usually required, plus some relevant experience (such as working with children or families). Again, graduates need to be supervised for a year before being eligible to register as a Chartered Educational Psychologist.

Mature students are welcomed; there is no upper age limit for applicants. The British Psychological Society often receives enquiries from qualified and experienced teachers who are not psychology graduates but who wish to train as educational psychologists. Such people will be required to undertake an accredited qualification conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR). Most teachers will already be graduates and may wish to consider undertaking an accredited conversion course. In these cases the applicant will obviously not be be required to undertake further teaching experience after the GBR has been achieved, but may consider postgraduate training in educational psychology.

Forensic Psychologists (or criminological and legal psychologists) deal with the application of psychology within the judicial and penal systems. Many work in penal establishments or the National Health Service and are concerned with the training and treatment of prisoners, carrying out clinical interviews and behavioural and psychometric tests. Increasingly, they also help other staff, such as prison officers, deal with inmates and with assisting prison governors with management issues, stress and hostage situations. In the community, the emphasis is on rehabilitation and preventing any recurrence of offending behaviour by a client. Chartered Forensic Psychologists who work in special hospitals and regional secure units in the health service usually have first qualified as clinical psychologists.

Prison psychologists are employed throughout the prison service, including youth custody centres, remand centres and adult prisons. They need to have a British Psychological Society-accredited first degree and then take part in the keenly fought selection procedure run by the Civil Service for Basic Grade Psychologist posts.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland there are no prison psychologists employed directly by the prison service; all psychological work in prisons is provided by local clinical psychologists.

Work experience is often gained as an assistant psychologist in the prison service or a forensic clinical setting (look out for vacancies in the Appointments Memorandum, or write to Mr M. Williams, Personnel Dept., Prison Service, Cleland House, Page Street, London SW1P 4LN), or can be gained through the probation or social services. Also, many new courses are starting up at universities around the country.

Health Psychologists work in a relatively new field of applied psychology. They are represented in a number of settings, such as hospitals, academic health research units, health authorities and university departments. Psychological principles are used to promote changes in peoples attitudes, behaviour and thinking about health.

Health psychologists also work with other professionals, advising in areas such as patient communication, assessing and evaluating services to patients and how people's beliefs may affect treatment. There is currently no specific route to registration as a Chartered Psychologist on the basis of training and experience in health psychology.

Occupational Psychology is concerned with the world of work and training, and as such can have many guises. It may be labelled organisational psychology, ergonomics (human factors, engineering applications of psychology), applied psychology, industrial psychology, personnel management, time management or management consultancy.

Occupational psychologists are involved with issues such as the selection and training of staff, psychometric tests, communication, the working environment and effective management. Major changes brought about by technology, privatisation and recession have led to an increasing demand for their services.

Occupational psychologists often work for large companies (in both the private and public sectors), in government and public services, in management training centres and for private consultancies. They usually work alongside other professionals such as managers, trade union representatives, training officers and specialist staff from the firm or industry concerned.

In the past it was possible to train as an occupational psychologist under an experience only training route. This route is now closed. A Chartered Occupational Psychologist is now required to obtain a good British Psychological Society-accredited first degree in psychology. Graduates can go straight onto an accredited training course (usually lasting one year, with up to eight applicants considered for each place) which should be followed by two years practice under the supervision of a Chartered Psychologist. Mature entrants are encouraged because of their experience, and graduates can go straight into employment and join a training course at a later date, possibly on a part-time basis. Employment opportunities are advertised in the Appointments Memorandum and in the press. The three-year route will only result in entry to the Register of Chartered Psychologists for those members who are accepted into full membership of the Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP). Details of its entrance requirements are available from the British Psychological Society.

Prospective occupational psychologists who do not undertake an accredited training course in occupational psychology are required to sit the British Psychological Society's Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Psychology, which examines academic knowledge in eight main areas. Trainees also need to gain supervised experience in five of these areas, and be able to demonstrate expertise in at least two. The training takes a minimum of three years. Only completion of a British Psychological Society-accredited training course in occupational psychology will lead to an exemption from the requirement to obtain the postgraduate certificate. Often applications for registration as a Chartered Psychologist are received from psychologists who have undertaken a period of supervised practice in one or more areas of occupational psychology, but the experience gained has not been broad enough to allow entry to the DOP. Registration has been granted to such applicants if they are able to show that they have completed five years practice as a psychologist under the supervision of a Chartered Psychologist. Such psychologists will now also be required to obtain the Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Psychology or undertake an accredited training course.

Psychotherapy covers the psychological treatment of a wide range of mental and physical ills by a number of different methods, each developed in terms of its own theoretical framework. Such treatment is carried out with individual patients or clients, with groups of patients and with children as well as adults. Methods vary from a long series of intimate discussions extending over two or three years, to only one or two intense interviews. Group treatment may consist of acting out problems or the encouragement of expression of inhibited emotions within the therapeutic group.

The British Psychological Society view is that psychotherapy, as well as the use of hypnosis with psychotherapy, is most appropriately regarded as a post-qualification specialisation for members of one of the primary professional groups such as medical practitioners, applied psychologists or social workers. Such people are more likely to interact in the development of psychological problems and to have a sufficient range of professional experience and skills to judge when a potential client might be more appropriately helped by other methods. The advice to psychology graduates wishing to train as psychotherapists is that they should first acquire a relevant basic professional training in another area of applied psychology or other relevant profession, and to follow this with a post-qualification training in psychotherapy. The British Psychological Society approves some post-qualification courses in psychological therapy, and such courses are usually advertised in The Psychologist.

However, some psychology graduates may wish to train in psychotherapy without a professional training in applied psychology. The British Psychological Society cannot provide information about suitable courses and does not accredit training courses in psychotherapy for people who are not already Chartered Psychologists. Such graduates should contact the British Association for Counselling and the UK Council for Psychotherapy.

Intending applicants for private psychotherapy training should be aware that some bodies offer clearly inadequate training (for example, applicants should be able to recognise that training lasting only a few weeks is unlikely to be sufficient). The following questions may be useful to consider when looking at a course in psychotherapy:

Is the course prospectus detailed enough to indicate the objects, methods and orientation?
Is the course long enough, and the amount of supervised experience sufficient?
What are the qualifications of the course organisers and supervisors?
Is supervision of therapy provided to trainees individually (or at least in pairs) on a regular basis?
Does the course have a formal and externally validated method of assessing trainees competence?
Has the course been approved by an accredited body other than the organisation running it?

Currently there is no registration or licensing of psychotherapists in the UK, and so there are no specific qualifications required for private practice. Public employing authorities each have their own regulations. The NHS has posts for child psychotherapists and the Association of Psychotherapists is the appropriate body to advise on training; there are no NHS posts for adult psychotherapists other than those for psychiatric psychotherapists or clinical psychologists specialising in psychotherapy.

Research Psychologists work in universities, government agencies or private companies. Their work varies enormously: in universities it may be pure research which aims simply at a better understanding of human behaviour, while research psychologists working in commercial organisations may be researching topics of direct relevance to their employers, for example on the effects of a new drug or the behaviour of motorists. Many psychologists are entered onto the Register of Chartered Psychologists by virtue of holding a postgraduate research degree in psychology. Registration is via a research route and is usually only open to those who hold a British Psychological Society-accredited first degree in addition to a doctoral level degree in psychology. Very occasionally psychologists will be registered by virtue of publications in refereed journals, but only when their work is judged equivalent to a PhD in psychology.

The British Psychological Society is unable to assist in finding research places for psychology graduates wishing to pursue a doctoral degree. However, you should refer to the Compendium of Postgraduate Studies in Psychology in the UK and Ireland (published by BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Books). This details all psychology departments in the UK and Ireland and includes taught courses offered by those departments and the research interests of members of staff. From this a prospective student can identify individual psychologists who may be able to provide supervision for a doctoral degree within the candidates special fields of interest. A copy of the compendium may be obtained from the British Psychological Society's Leicester Office (see order form at the end of this booklet for details). However, all psychology departments should have a copy and libraries are encouraged to take the compendium as a key reference work about psychology in the UK.

Along with many other areas where psychology has begun to be applied to practical problems, the British Psychological Society does not at present recognise any particular training programmes or courses in sports psychology as providing an approved route to qualification as a Chartered Psychologist. Applications for registration from individual candidates with postgraduate training and expertise in sports psychology are considered on their merits in keeping with the general principles set out in the British Psychological Society's document Criteria for Registration as a Chartered Psychologist. The Register of Chartered Psychologists currently includes a number of psychologists who have the expertise to offer a service in sports psychology. Most of these will have been admitted to the Register on the basis of a postgraduate research degree, or a training in another area of applied psychology.